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Action on Bond's future at Dracut Housing Authority will have to wait

By John Collins, jcollins@lowellsun.com

Posted:
05/13/2014 06:59:28 AM EDT

DRACUT -- People and tension filled the recreation room of Cluster Gardens Apartments at 65 Phineas St. on Monday.

But it wasn't until after the Dracut Housing Authority had welcomed its newest elected member, Jesse Forcier, and adjourned its first monthly meeting since Commissioner Brian Bond's election-night tirade that Chairman Russ Taylor addressed the elephant in the room.

Bond faces an investigation by the state Department of Housing and Community Development as a result of the angry, "R"-rated messages he sent on Facebook and by phone text -- following his election loss to Forcier -- to Taylor and former Selectman Warren Shaw, two of Forcier's most prominent supporters.

Taylor Allen, left, and mother, Dottie Allen, said Brian Bond ought to be removed from the Dracut Housing Authority for his "die" comment directed at DHA Chairman Russ Taylor, who has cancer. Dottie Allen is Russ Taylor's sister.
Sun/John Collins

Hours later, Bond apologized to both men for his verbal assault, but Taylor said Monday that Bond has crossed the line of impropriety too many times, including while acting as the DHA's representative on the Community Preservation Committee, and needs to step down.

There was insufficient time to place Bond's election-night behavior on the agenda for this month's meeting, Taylor said. Taylor said he plans to introduce a motion at the Housing Authority's meeting in June proposing the panel send a letter to Gov. Patrick asking him to remove Bond as his appointed commissioner for conduct unbecoming a public official.

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Taylor said he wants the commissioners to discuss and vote on sending a letter to the governor in executive session, unless Bond insists on holding the discussion in public.

"I don't want to unnecessarily embarrass him any more than he has already been embarrassed," said Taylor. "It's up to him, if he wants to keep the discussion in public session.

"I don't want to beat him up any worse than he's already beat up over this," Taylor added. "But I'm pretty serious about this.

Despite public pressure being placed on him to resign as a result of his election-night tirade, Dracut Housing Authority commissioner Brian Bond, far left, stated "present" when DHA Chairman Russ Taylor (third from right) conducted a roll call at the panel's monthly meeting at Cluster Garden Apartments at 65 Phineas St. on Monday. Seated to Taylor's left is the DHA's newest commissioner, Jesse Forcier, who defeated Bond in last week's election. Sun /John Collins

It is my intention to ask the rest of the board to vote on writing a letter to the governor asking that he be removed."

Bond, speaking briefly with The Sun after the meeting, declined to comment on the controversy, except to say that he intends to let the matter "play out."

Bond did not indicate that he intends to resign from his seat on the Housing Authority, despite considerable public pressure to do so. His term as the governor's appointee is scheduled to end in January when the next governor is sworn in.

Bond said he phoned the state Department of Housing and Community Development on Monday and spoke with an official "at length" about their announced investigation of his conduct. He declined to give the name of the official, or to share details of the conversation.

As Bond spoke with The Sun, he was verbally confronted by Taylor's sister, Dottie Allen, a Dracut resident, as she emerged from the DHA meeting room.

"I just want you to know, you are absolutely the lowest of the low," Allen told Bond.

Moments later, an elderly male shook hands with Bond as he walked by, telling the commissioner, "Hang in there."

Allen and her son, Taylor Allen, who also attended the meeting, said they were thoroughly disgusted that a public official could wish death on someone battling cancer.

"I was hoping they would address it tonight," said Taylor Allen. "Anyone who could do that should not be in public office."

Dottie Allen noted that in his public apology, Bond declared that he "wears his emotion on his sleeve," he said.

"Well, maybe then he shouldn't be in public office, if he can't control his emotions better than that," Dottie Allen said.

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